Metro pulled nearly 100 buses off the road Tuesday after one of its vehicles combusted for the second time in a week — the latest in a series of public buses to catch fire in the Washington region.
The agency removed 94 Orion VI buses following a fire aboard a bus without passengers on Route 50 between Interstate 95 and the MLK Highway early Tuesday in Prince George’s County. The driver was not injured.
The incident came just days after a bus of the same model ignited on Interstate 66 in Fairfax County.
“Safety is our highest priority, and this is a prudent step until we fully understand the cause,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles, of shutting down the vehicles for further investigation. “We will do everything possible to minimize customer impact while these buses are out of service.”
Metro officials said they would use vehicles in reserve to avoid delays for riders.
In Montgomery County, blazing vehicles have plagued transportation officials as well.
As first reported by The Washington Examiner, four Ride On buses caught fire within the past year and a half. The 50 Champion model buses originally purchased represent about an eighth of the county bus fleet but have been the only buses to catch fire in the system during that time. The models resemble an airport-style shuttle bus.
Federal officials are now investigating the Montgomery County buses following the spate of fires.
According to Metro officials, the issues with the Orion buses aren’t related to those with Ride On, as the vehicles in question are separate models with different engine locations.
But Metro has experienced previous problems with this Orion model, which operates using diesel fuel. They were delivered in 2000.
In September 2010, Metro removed nearly 100 such buses from service after one caught fire on the Capital Beltway. The fire then was caused by a faulty hydraulic pump, but Metro officials say the recent spontaneous blazes have different origins.
Metrobuses have faced a series of public safety issues lately that extend beyond just fires. Last month, Metro started retrofitting 47 New Flyer Xcelsior buses because of an electrical short within a lithium battery in the vehicles.
In other words, about 10 percent of Metro’s fleet of 1,492 buses has been cited for safety issues in recent weeks.
